Launching apparatus for life boats and rafts.



30, 1915. .2. SHE SHEET'I G-W. BOYD.

. LAUNCHLNG APPARATUS FOR LIFE BUAIS AND RAFTS.

APPLICATJONIILED AUG.23. x915.

Patented Nov ave-A to;

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s. w. BOYD. v LAUNCHlNG APPARATUS FOR I IFE BOATS AND RAFTS.

APPLICATION FlLED AUG..23.I19|5- 7 1,162,218. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

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anmmioc a ttoznu,

Lnuivcrrmd r -mm V V Specification of Letters Patent.

s FOR LIFE-BOATS AND a arms.

. Application filed August 23, 1915. Serial No. 46,906. I

To all whom it may concern; i Be it known that I, GEORGE BOYD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rector, inthe county ofClayand State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Launching Apparatus for Life Boats and Rafts, of which the following is a specificatiomreference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved launching apparatus for life boats and rafts and has for its primary object to provide a device of this character which will be automatically operated upon the sinking of the vessel to which the same is applied, and

the raft or boat released.

It is another important object of the in vention to provide a launching apparatus for vessels embodying means whereby the raft or boat may be elevated to a position above or below the deck'of the vessel so that it will not interfere with the proper land ing of the vessel at a wharf or the loading or unloading thereof.

The invention has specific object to provide a boat or raft, the body of which is mounted upon pontoons or air tanks, boxings arranged in pairs, and

means mounted upon the hull of the vessel for raising or lowering said boxings, means .movable in the boxings and engaging the ends of the pontoons to support theraft or boat in position, and float actuated means for operating said supporting means whereby the raft or boat is released. V i

It is-a further general object of theinvention to provide a device of the. abovecharacter which is simple and durable in its construction, occupies but little room upon the hull of the vessel, and is positive and reliable in its operation.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrange ment of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion 7 of a vessel showing my improved launching apparatus applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section" taken through one of the pontoons of the life raft. Fig. 3 is a section 7 taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. Fig. 4=-is V erated from a motor for another and more" wardly projecting, circular wall 25 sur-= a section on the line of Fig.

1; and Fig. 5is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. A

Referring 1n designates spaced vertically disposed channel bars which are bolted or otherwise rigidly secured togthe side of the vessels hull. These channelv bars constitute guides for :the vertically movable racks 6. In" suitable detail to the drawings; 5

bearings,.indicated at 7,' fixed upon'the I channelbarsd'a horizontal shaft Sis rotatably mounted. ,This' shaft carries pinions w.Qfor cooperative engagement with the respective'racksfi. Dogs 10 are also mounted in suitable brackets 11 fixed upon the channel 'bars5, said dogs engaging the respective-racks to retain the same in their adjusted positions. The shaft 8 may be. op

orother suitable source of power. I

B To each ofthe rackbars 6, the spaced jboxings 12 are suitably attached. .In the opposed walls of each of. these boXings, a shaft 13.is rota tably mounted; and upon said shaft, an eccentricv .14, located within the boxing, is fixed. Eccentric strap sections 15 are suitably mounted upon the peso i 'riphery of the eccentric and connectedat their extremities by the bolts 16. To one endaof each shaft 13, an outwardly extend mg vention, Ihave' shown a boat or raftem' bodying in its construction, the spaced pontoons or buoyant shells 21 upon which the body of the boat, indicated at 22, is mounted and suitably secured. Each of the pon-.

toons 21 is provided with conical terminals 23 projecting beyond the opposite sides of arm l7 is secured. -The outer ends of. the arms 17 of the respective pairs of shafts the boat body. Thepontoons are preferably connectedand braced by means of bars or straps shown at 2 1. The body 22 of the .boat or raft maybe provided withv suitable automatically operating valves so that water.

entering the same may escape therefrom. Each of the pontoons 21 is provided adjacent one of its.endswith atapering, up-

rounding the manhole" or opening, whereby access is afforded to the interior of the pon- .toon.jfA suitable cover or closure is; provided for this opening. Within the pontoon, a cradle 26 is suitably suspended, upon which food and clothing and the valuables of the occupants ofvthe, boat may be placed.

Each of the boXings 12 is provided iniits inner vertical wall with an opening 27 through which' a supporting pin or rod 28,

15, extends. The outer ends of these pins 28 are pointed, as at 29, for engagement in the conicalseats or recesses '30 formed in the tapering ends 28 of the pontoons.

In the operation of the apparatus, assumboat body 22 rests closely against the hull of the vessel. moved vertically with respect to the vessel by are moved in the guide channels '5. Thus,

the boat can be so disposed that it will not obstruct the movements of the crew or the proper loading or unloading of the vessel,

In'the' event that the vessel should sink,

when the floats 19 strike thesurface of the water, the rods 18 will be moved upwardly,

thereby swingingthe arms 17 inwardly and rotating the shafts 13. The'eccentrics 14' are thus rotated to shift ,thestraps 15 laterally and draw the pins or rods'28 inwardly pontoons' 21. The life raft or boat is thus released so that it will float upon the surface of the water. In this manner, it will be seen that the detaching of the raft is automatic and the samecannot be carried down'with the vessel, no matter how quickly'thelatter may sink. Theinvention, as a whole, is of exceedingly simple construction, may be readily applied to the ordinary vessel withoutrequiring any alterations therein, and is reli'ableand positive in practical operation. By the provision of such an automatically operating launching apparatus, the lives of many of the passengers and the crew may besaved. It will, of course, be nderstood that the body of the raft or boat may be of any desired carrying capacity and a greater Copies of this patent may be obtained for its inner end to the eccentric strap The boat or raft may be readily.

or less number ofthe pontoons employed to sustainthe same.

IVhileIhave shown and described the imthat my invention is susceptible of considerable modificationtherein. and I, therefore, reserve'the privilege of resorting to allsuch legitimate changes as may befairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the in vention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to, claim and-secureby Letters Patent is: J

1.' In an apparatus'of the character described, movable supporting elements to support a life boat uponTthe hull of avessel,

eccentrics cooperating with said elements to move the same, and float actuated meanscooperating with the eccentrics to move the I supporting elements and release the life operating the shaft 8, whereby'the racksf6 b straps to which themovable elementsare attached, arms fixed to said shafts, and afloat actuated rod connecting the arms to operate theeccentrics'and move the supporting ele ments whereby the life boat is released.

In an apparatus of the character de- T scribed, spaced pairs'of movable supporting and out of engagement with the ends of the elements for engagement with opposite sides of life boat to support the same upon the hull of a vessel, eccentrics and eccentric elements areattached,-a shaft for each eccentric and an arm fixed 'uponeach of the shafts, 'rods connecting thearms of the respective pairs of eccentric shafts. and floats adjustable upon said rods whereby thearms In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my I signature in the presence of two witnesses. GEORGE WV. BOYD. "Witnesses:

' I W. FJHARKEY,

J. ROGERS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. p i a straps to which the respective supporting 

